The Amagansett station shelter was finished in 1965. It replaced an earlier station that had served the hamlet since the Long Island Rail Road pushed its tracks east from Bridgehampton in 1895, with Montauk as the next goal. Next to the main track runs a second, shorter track. This passing siding is one of the few places east of Speonk where two trains can get around each other. Newsday reported that its switches are set by hand, not by signals.
That modest piece of track is the reason the LIRR's newest Montauk Branch project is centered on Amagansett. It's also why this station, more than the busier stops to the west, will shape how many trains the South Fork can run after 2029.
Twenty-Seven Miles With Few Places to Pass
From Speonk to Montauk, the Montauk Branch is a single track. Westbound and eastbound trains share the same rails, so when two trains meet, one has to pull aside and wait. 27east reported that there are only a couple of places where that can happen. Newsday lists the existing sidings at Amagansett, Southampton and Bridgehampton. It says all three see limited use because they're short, and because the Amagansett and Bridgehampton sidings have to be switched by hand.
The MTA describes the result as a 27-mile run of single track from Southampton to Montauk. That stretch limits how many trains the branch can carry. At a press conference at the Hampton Bays station, LIRR President Rob Free put it in practical terms. "Having all that single track meant that we could not have an eastbound train east of Southampton and a westbound train west of Montauk at the same time," he said, as reported by 27east.
In the same coverage, Free explained what that does to a timetable. A train coming 60 to 70 miles from Jamaica has to arrive at a passing point at the same moment as a train coming from much closer, and when the timing slips, scheduled running times get longer. A late train at one end of the line means a waiting train at the other end.
What Fourteen Car Lengths Buys
The plan announced August 25, 2026 lengthens the existing Amagansett siding by 14 LIRR car lengths. 27east reported that it also includes signal upgrades along the Montauk Branch. 27east put the cost of the siding and signal work at about $32 million. The MTA's announcement lists a combined $78 million for the Amagansett and Hampton Bays projects in its 2025–29 Capital Plan.
What the longer siding does is split the 27-mile single-track run in two at Amagansett:
| Segment | Single track today | After the extension |
|---|---|---|
| Southampton to Montauk | 27 miles of single track | Divided at Amagansett |
| Southampton to Amagansett | Part of the 27-mile run | 16 miles |
| Amagansett to Montauk | Part of the 27-mile run | 11 miles |
A longer siding at Amagansett means a train headed to Montauk and a train leaving it can each run on its own segment and meet at the hamlet's station. The MTA says this improves scheduling flexibility and helps the railroad recover from disruptions.
The promise has limits. The MTA says that once the work is done, the LIRR "will seek to leverage the additional operational flexibility and increase or improve service on the Montauk Branch to meet ridership demands." That's a stated goal, not a new timetable. Free also named a second bottleneck: the railroad's supply of locomotives and coach cars. 27east reported that the LIRR plans to buy new diesel locomotives with its capital funding and expects to add coaches in a later phase. Any added trains past Amagansett will need both the track and the equipment.
The Riders Were Already There
The railroad's own figures show demand has been running ahead of capacity. As of the August 25 announcement, the MTA counted 1,212,229 Montauk Branch passengers so far in 2026. That was a 6.4 percent increase over 1,138,921 at the same point in 2025. Southampton station grew fastest, with 88,453 riders through that point in 2026, up 46 percent. Hampton Bays was up 23 percent, to 62,961. The MTA also says many East End trains run close to 100 percent capacity in peak summer season.
Some of the change has already reached the timetable. The weekday 5:13 p.m. train from Penn Station used to run east of Speonk only in summer. Starting in September 2026, it runs to Montauk year-round, giving the East End a permanent one-seat ride from Manhattan. The South Fork Commuter Connection has run since 2019, and the MTA describes it as reverse-peak service between Speonk and Amagansett.
East Hampton Town Councilwoman Kate Rogers, who attended the press conference, spoke about the workers who depend on that service. In 27east's account, she said:
"The infrastructure is critical for our employees who have to get up at 4 o'clock in the morning to get to work by 9 a.m. and for our town. It's so overdue."
Assemblyman Tommy John Schiavoni told 27east that more track has to turn into more trains crossing the Shinnecock Canal, because employers across the South Fork are short of workers. Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine made the road comparison in the MTA's release: "try driving County Road 39 in the morning or in the afternoon."
A Request This Station Has Heard Before
The siding extension is the latest step in a long effort to get more trains past Southampton, and Amagansett has shown up in that effort again and again:
- 1895. The LIRR extends service from Bridgehampton to Amagansett, with plans to continue to Montauk.
- 2006 and 2007. A South Fork Commuter Connection trial runs while County Road 39 is under construction. The East Hampton Star reported in 2017 that East End officials were pushing for a year-round version, with 2018 as the target start.
- 2019. The current South Fork Commuter Connection begins.
- September 2024. Assemblyman Fred Thiele announces a proposed $260 million in the MTA capital plan for South Fork rail improvements. According to the Star, the proposal covered tracks, platforms, sidings and signals at Bridgehampton, East Hampton and Amagansett, and East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez endorsed it.
- August 2026. Governor Kathy Hochul's office announces the Amagansett siding extension as phase one, with a permanent second platform at Hampton Bays as phase two.
- September 2026. The 5:13 p.m. Penn Station train starts running to Montauk year-round.
The siding extension is set to begin in the first quarter of 2028 and finish in the second quarter of 2029. The Hampton Bays work doesn't have one yet. The MTA says its scope and timeline will come out of planning and design.
Between Now and 2029
Nothing changes at the Amagansett platform this fall. Trains are running on the MTA's fall Montauk Branch timetable, effective September 8 through November 8, 2026, which shows South Fork Commuter Connection trips alongside the regular schedule. Because that timetable ends November 8, it's worth checking the MTA's page before booking a pickup for a holiday guest or a late-fall commute.
Construction is more than a year away. Once it's finished, the trains that now wait somewhere between Southampton and Montauk for an opposing train to clear will have a proper passing point at Amagansett. The East Hampton Star described the upgrade as added track at the hamlet's station that lets trains pass each other on an otherwise single-track line. How many more trains the LIRR runs through Amagansett after mid-2029 will depend on the new locomotives and coaches the railroad has said it will buy.
Rail access affects more than the commute. It shapes how weekend guests arrive, how summer tenants get out from the city, and how seasonal staff reach a house in the Lanes or near Main Street. If you'd like to talk through how the Montauk Branch timetable fits into your plans for an Amagansett property, Michael Petersohn is glad to help. Request a Personal Market Consultation.
